Curtain-stretcher.



1. n. HoPKms.

CURTAIN ,STRETCHERL 0G l 9 1.. 9 2 fm m ,m D... 6n

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

INVENTOR HOQ/hs WITNESSES ATTORNEY y Y .PMENTQFFIJCE JAMES n. HOPKINS,or Vini: GROVE, KENTUCKY, n ssieivoa or ONE-HALFTO WILLIAM C. wooiis, orivi-NE GROVE, KENTUCKY'.

OUR'rAIN-STRETOHER.

e Vine Grove, inthe county of Hardin and State ofy Kentucky, haveinvented `certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-y Stretchers.

ofwhich the following is a specification. v v f This-invention relatestol curtain jstretcheis, and has for its primaryl object topprovidea'simplied and improved device of this character which embodies meanswhere# by curtains of various lengths and widths may be easily andquickly arrangednithiii, stretched and detached from the device', and

which v further embodies means for -adequately stretching the curtainwithout danger of, tearing the same.

A? further object of the yinvention `is to provide a curtain stretcherof this character` which is of simple andinexpensive construc-V which ispositive in operation and Which may be takenapart and folded so as tooccupybut a smallamount of space when not in use.

Vith these objects in view, togetherwith 4others which will appear asthe description proceeds, .the invention residesfin'ithe novelformation, combination andarrangement of parts, all as `will bedescribedmore fully hereinafter, illustrated inthe drawings,.landparticularly pointed out in the. claims.

The invention will ybe best understood with reference to theaccompanyingdrawing, wherein Figure 1v isv a-top plan view, parts brokenaway,` of a curtain stretcher, constructedin accordance. with myinvention;

Fig. 2-is a side 4elevation ofthe devicey shown in F ig. 1 g

Fig. 3 is a bottom the stretcher frame;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the sliding sleevesemployed in carrying out theinvention; Y r

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1, and

Application filed August 29, 1916. Serial No. 117,554.

plan view of one end of specification offtettrsr'aieai. lPatent/ed,13.11.29, 1918. i

Fig. 7 is-a detail perspective -viewfof one of the stretcher bar holdingplates. Referring now more particularlyto the drawings, 8 .indicates apair of main bars, each of whichis broken at a suitable pointl in itslength and hinged as at 9 to permitof the saniej folding upon ;-themse1ves. Slidably arranged upon each of the main bars 8 1 is a pair ofsleeves 10, the latterI snuglyinclosing the main bars and beingheld intheir diii'erentpositions of adjustment by the sety screws `11. Formedwith each of the sliding' sleeves 10 and ina plane :slightly above thesame isa loop, portion 12, the ,opening of which -is disposed atrigh-tangles to that-of f the sleeve portion to which it is attached. A guideflange 13 projectsupwardlylwfrom the sleeve `10 vandis disposed inalinement direction as with and in ,the same` general one edge of theloopportion 12. f

* Slidably arranged at their ends 4within the l alined loop portions 12,uponthelo-pposing main barsS aretransverse frame bjars14.

Set screws 15, are threaded` through` the. loop members '12 andareadaptedto -impingeA the frame bars' arranged therein to Ahcildtliesil-1.1.16v in'various positions vof .adjustment Thel frame ibars 14andthe main :bars 8 may be' graduated as shown, whereby the width andlength required for the stretchingof a certain fabric may be quickly4and, easily determined.- Byj loosening ythe .set

screws 11 and 15,;it is` obvious that the frame,

consisting of. the main andframe bars 8 and 14may be very easily.andquickly expanded or contracted. When larranged the desired.V

distance apart, the set screws may. betightened tomaintain the bars iniixed position.

Carriedby4 each of the main and; frame bars is afstretcher 4.bar 1 6.

upon themain or longitudinalbars 8. The

tudinal edge, the said tongue engaging beneath and supporting thestretcher bar 16.`

The stretcher bars supportedby the vend `orframe bars 14. areofsubstantially the same. dimensionas the latter and. are heldspacedfrom the iii-' ner. longitudinal vedges thereof by' bracketmembers 17'.v .The-stretcherbars lie in the same plane with the framebars 14, and r rest l100 bracket 17A compriSeS a. metallic `1.01am;llavfingle downwardly andenvardlv extending tongue 18.projeetiiig from lits4inner longif from the inner longitudinal edges of the plate 17 andengage over the top face of the adjacent stretcher bar. Screws or tacksmay be driven through suitable openings 20 in the tongue 18 to rmlysecure the stretcher bar thereto.

The stretcher bars 16 carried by the longitudinal or main bars aresecured upon the upper faces thereof, and lie i'n the same horizontalplane with the stretcher bars carried by the end lor frame members 14.The longitudinally disposed stretcher bars are formed in sections asshown, to permit of the device being readily folded. It will beunderstood that the extremities of the sectional stretcher bars willabut when the main Yor longitudinal bars are extended or in operativeposition.

Each of the stretcher bars above described is equipped with means forsecuring the edge of a curtain or other fabric thereto, and are rabbetedor cut away upontheir inner edges and throughout the extent thereof asindicated at 21. The base portions of these cut outs are groovedorchanneled as at 22, the construction providing a 'shallow upwardlyextending rib 23 at the outer part of Vthe rabbeted portion and'extending Y throughout the length of the stretcher bar.

Projecting upwardly from the channels in the said stretcher bars and'inwardly 'from the ribs 23 thereof are 'pegs or pins 24, theV latterbeing adapted toengage through the i stretcher bars to which they areapplied, and

edge of a, curtain fabric.

Associated with each of the stretcher bars is a clamp member 25'. Theclamp members in the present instance comprise'elongated platessubstantially coextensive with the project at one longitudinal edgeoutwardly over the rabbetedfor cut away portion 21. The extended edgesofthe plates are bent downwardly to provide foot portions 27,

the latter being bent inwardlyatftheir lowermost ends as at 2S topresent a substantially rounded edge. These rounded edges terminateinclose proximity to the bottoms of the Y channels formed' at the base ofthe cut out,

portions, and are disposedv inwardly from the pegs 24.- As a means forsecuring the clamps 25 upon their respective clamp bars,

bolts 29 are extended upwardly through the A clamp bars and throughlaterally disposed elongated slots 30 inthe clamp members. The upperthreaded extremities of the bolts 29 may be equipped with wing nuts 31,whereby the clamps may be adjusted toward and away from their clamp barsand also to permit ofadjusting the clamps laterally of the said bars.The bolts 29 extend through Vthe longitudinalor main barsS and thencethrough the clamp bars and clamps, where# Copies of this-patent may be'obtained for by the said bolts bind the clamp bars to the longitudinalbars, and the clamps to the clamp bars.

In operation, the lateral and longitudinal bars of the frame areadjusted through their sliding sleeves and loop portions to the sizeproper for the accommodation of the fabric to be stretched. The setscrews are then tightened, whereupon the wing nuts 31. are

loosened so that the edges of the fabric may be engaged over the pegshoused beneath the depending foot portions of the clamps. After thefabric is thus arranged within the frame, the wing nuts are tightened,whereupon the clamps are forced downwardly until their rounded smoothportions engage with the fabric, and thus bind the edges of the saineinto the channel at the bottom of the rabbeted portion. If desired, thefabric thus stretched may be further tensioned by moving the stretcherbars outwardly or inwardly, and it will be apparent that such movementsor the contraction of the fabric will be borne by the elongated footportions of the clamps. Tearing out of the fabric edges is thusobviated.

While the above is a description of the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is obvious that various changes in the minorA details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or exceeding' the scope ofthe claims.V Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a plu-V adjustably secured toeach other, stretcherv bars secured to said lateral bars, a platesecuredto each of said frame bars, a ltongue projecting downwardly andforwardly from each plate, arms projecting from the ends of each plateand lying above said tongue, clamp bars carried by said plates and beingsupported between said arms and tongues, and means for securing fabricsto said clamping bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afli'X my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

V. G. PHELPs, E. F. BnowN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of llateut'e,Washington, D. G. rv i

